July 29, 2003 06:00 AM

Broken: CD burner installer

In this column, Cody B. writes about faulty navigation in the installer of a CD-burning application:

What button do you click to install PrimoCD? The one on the right looks like a good choice; it seems to suggest "continue". But the program exited. Restarting the setup program and holding the mouse pointer over the right-hand icon, I noted that, in fact, its tooltip read "Exit the browser"!

The Sims uses nearly the same icon for 'exit'. I wish I knew who thought that was a good idea, as it looks like 'continue' in both form and location. Even if I've been plugging away at that program for days I get tricked by the exit button once in a while.

I guess they were going for 'arrow leading out of box', but what they wound up with was 'stylized arrow pointing to the next step'. I shudder to think that it might be a standard pictogram for 'exit' -- in nearly every use, the arrow would be pointing at something irrelevant and confusing.

I think this particular pictogram can be officially stamped 'Broken'.

Posted by: kalthare at October 6, 2004 07:30 AM

Oops pushed wrong button and posted unfinished.

Frequently used software works great with Icons, especially if you can turn on text under them until you learn what they mean and later turn it off to gain screen realestate. But icons and pictograms without text in software like installers and webpages (one use only) is just stupid and NEVER acceptable.